


Hypothetically

by Gray_Skies_Rising



Series: Living in the Dawn and Dusk [12]
Category: Batman - All Media Types
Genre: Accidental Self Harm, Alternate Universe - Dark, Bad Parent Talia al Ghul, Blanket Permission, Dark Batfamily (DCU), Gen, Good Bro Jason Todd, Good Older Sibling Jason Todd, He’s letting Damian ask questions and be curious about stuff, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Night Terrors, Referenced Child Soldiers, Scars, Swearing, The League of Assassins (DCU), accidental self mutilation, even if he’s a little uncomfortable
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-14
Updated: 2020-05-14
Packaged: 2021-03-03 00:15:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,096
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24175714
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gray_Skies_Rising/pseuds/Gray_Skies_Rising
Summary: “Hypothetically?” He asked innocently enough.Damian seemed to flounder for a moment before he grasped the line Jason had thrown him, “uuuhh… yes?”The kid caught his questioning tone and corrected himself, “I mean, yes. Hypothetically, I would ask about the scars on your arms.”Jason could almostseeDick’s proud smile as Jason gotDamian Wayneto enact one of the most cliche things in the history of the world.
Relationships: Jason Todd & Damian Wayne
Series: Living in the Dawn and Dusk [12]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1735045
Comments: 11
Kudos: 533





	Hypothetically

**Author's Note:**

> Tw: the league of Assassins is its own warning, implied child abuse, implied child soldiers, scars, night terrors, discussion of scars and night terrors, accidental and implied self harm/self mutilation, and swearing
> 
> Be warned, this is probably not the best way to ask about any kind of scar. Jason is just trying to help Damian out, and puts himself in an uncomfortable position in order to do so.

You know, despite how aloof and above all the kid acted, Damian was pretty easy to read once you got to know him a little.

For one thing, when something caught his interest, no matter how much he denied it, Damian could never take his eyes off it.

Usually that was fine. Usually it was directed at something harmless that he had never experienced from within the league. Like hugs, sentimental gifts, or non poisoned food.

But not today.

Because today, Damian’s interest was directed at Jason’s arms. Or rather, more accurately, the scars that cover them.

You see, not all of Jason’s scars are from his vigilante work. Sometimes he is his own worst enemy.

To his credit, the kid was trying not to look. However, it seemed like he just couldn’t  _ not _ look. It was almost as if it went against Damian’s very nature to not poke into other people’s business.

Jason could feel his skin crawl with every glance. Usually, Jason could ignore the stares, they were nothing new. Today, however, was a different story.

Jason managed to ignore him for about half an hour, keeping himself buried in his new book.

But the small glances and how his pencil continued to trace the same damn circle, Jason just couldn’t take it.

Sighing, he put his book down and turned to his little brother.

“You can ask, ya know.”

“Tt,” Damian’s gaze is fixed firmly onto his sketchbook, “I do not know what you are talking about.”

“Okay,” Jason resisted the urge to roll his eyes and picked his book back up. He wasn’t going to get anymore reading done sitting next to Damian, but he could at least try, “suit yourself.”

“But…” Damian’s tone was haughty and unconcerned, but Jason knew better, “If I was to inquire anything…” an aborted movement to bite at his lip as he tries to find the right words, “it would be the origins to your most unusual scars.”

Jason side-eyed the kid and slightly lowered his book.

“ _ Hypothetically _ ?” He asked innocently enough.

Damian seemed to flounder for a moment before he grasped the line Jason had thrown him, “uuuhh… yes?”

The kid caught his questioning tone and corrected himself, “I mean, yes. Hypothetically, I would ask about the scars on your arms.”

Jason could almost  _ see _ Dick’s proud smile as Jason got  _ Damian Wayne _ to enact one of the most cliche things in the history of the world.

After watching his struggle for the next few seconds, Jason decided to throw him a proverbial bone, “And, hypothetically, I would answer.”

“And what would your hypothetical answer be, exactly?”

“Night terrors,” Jason answered simply.

“Night… Terrors.” Damian whispered hesitantly. Clearly the kid had never heard the term before, but, to be fair, neither had Jason until he had moved into the manor.

“They’re like nightmares, but worse. Especially for me. Have ‘em all the time. It sucks.”

“I know what they are!” He snaps, but there’s no heat. “But… Exactly how are they worse than a nightmare?”

Jason has, once again, turned his full attention to Damian. The kid, in return, had stopped pretending to draw and was now still trying, and failing, not to look at Jason’s arms.

“For one thing, they can be really dangerous for the people having ‘em. Most people get hurt because they tend to flail around a lot. But I,” Jason glanced down at the scars maring his skin, “don’t…”

Damian curled into himself slightly, he then realized what he was doing and tried to correct it.

Back, straight. Chin, up. Gaze, unblinking.  ~~_ A good soldier. _ ~~

Sometimes, Jason really hated Talia. And really fucking hated Ra’s. And just hated the league in general.

The silence, that stretched until Damian found his voice, felt like hours, but was probably only a few minutes.

“Does Father or Richard have these… night terrors?”

Jason shakes his head.

“As far as I know, I’m the only one who has ‘em. Bruce just has the regular old terror induced nightmares of a vigilante in Gotham, I mean, they’re bad, but not night terrors. Dick, well… Dick once said that he doesn’t dream, exactly. I don't know, he tried to explain it to me but I never could wrap my head around it. Both you and, technically, Tim are both still in the age group where you can have ‘em without the trauma, but either you’ve never had ‘em or you’ve outgrown ‘em.” He shrugged, “The mind works in mysterious ways.”

“I thought that was God.”

A bitter laugh, “God’s a bitch if he works like this.” His right hand gestured to his left arm.

This time, the silence stretches for so long that Jason thinks that Damian is done with this conversation and is going to leave. But he surprised Jason.

“You say you have them often, but you have no new bandages or scars.”

Jason hated answering Damian questions about his scars. They made his skin crawl and his arms itch.

But the kid was raised to have all the answers but was never able to ask questions. It went against everything Jason was taught and stood for. Jason was determined to show him that it was okay to ask questions here. That it was okay to be curious and have interests other than the ones pre-set for him.

Even if it made Jason want to claw his own skin off while doing so. It was a sacrifice he was willing to make.

“I haven’t had a bad one in a while, which is nice, but B’s going on that space mission tomorrow. They’re always worse when he’s gone.”

“Is that why Richard is home for the week?”

“One of the reasons, yeah,”

Jason’s voice was wearing thin. He barely kept it from cracking on the final word.

Damian seems to realize that he’s close to the edge because he stands up and looks Jason over with a critical eye.

“You look flushed, I’ll get you an ice pack.”

Jason lets out the biggest smile he can manage, “Aww, I knew you like me Dami!”

Damian scowls at him and turns on his heel. He waves a dismissive hand over his shoulder as he stalks out of the room.

“Tt, I am simply making sure you don’t die before Richard gets here. He would be unnecessarily upset if he didn’t have someone to ‘mother hen’ as you and Drake put it.”

Jason let out a snort as the kid left the room. Yeah, Damian was really easy to read once you got to know him.

**Author's Note:**

> Kudos and comments are not only appreciated, but encouraged!


End file.
